Pin orienting, aligning and taping machine

ABSTRACT

A pin orienting, aligning and taping machine having an inclined orienting platform with a plurality of longitudinally extending channels therein for receiving pins, and a plurality of push rods for removing pins from the channels which are not oriented in the proper direction. A vibratory aligning platform forms a base under open channels formed in pin receiving plates which are carried and driven by a driven chain link. The pins are received on the aligning platform from the orienting platform, are aligned within the channels of the pin receiving plates, and are fed to a taping station which is provided with a tape applying and feed roll which is actuated to feed tape by pins passing thereunder to be taped.

United States Patent [.191

Newswanger ,lan. 14, 1975 [76] Inventor: Paul S. Newswanger, 1401 Vermont Ave., Lancaster, Pa. 17603 [22] Filed: Apr. 7, 1972 [21] Appl. No.2 223,323

[52] U.S. C1. 198/246, 221/159 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 47/24 [58] Field of Search..... 198/29, 33 AA, 220 R, 174, 198/246; 221/156,,159-160,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,191,758 6/1965 Adams 198/174 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 31,926 6/1973 Austria 19 8/174 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Assistant Examiner-James M. Slattery Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Karl L. Spivak, Esq.

[57] ABSTRACT A pin orienting, aligning and taping machine having an inclined orienting platform with a plurality of longitudinally extending channels therein for receiving pins, and a plurality of push rods for removing pins from the channels which are not oriented in the proper direction. A vibratory aligning platform forms a base under open channels formed in pin receiving plates which are carried and driven by a driven chain link. The pins are received on the aligning platform from the orienting platform, are aligned withinthe channels of the pin receiving plates, and are fed to a taping station which is provided with a tape applying and feed roll which is actuated to feed tape by pins passing thereunder to be taped.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 1 41975 sum 3 or 3 aiiiimlz FIG.8

PIN ORIENTING, ALIGNING AND'TAPING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a pin orienting, aligning and taping machine, and more particularly, to such a machine for aligning pins having opposite longitudinal ends of different configurations.

Machines for applying pins to wooden members such as window frames are known, and these machines are adapted to handle pins which are oriented in the same direction, aligned adjacent to each other and held as a single unit by an adhesive tape system. One such machine as disclosed in my copending application entitled Decorative Grill Pin Setting Machine, Ser. No. 863,177, filed Oct. 3, 1969 now US. Pat. No. 3,623,648 issued Nov. 30, 1971 handles pins which are approximately l/l inch in diameter, 1/2 inch long and pointed at one end. The prior art machine automatically inserts these pins into window sashes pointed end first with the blunt ends of the pins exposed to accommodate plastic window dividers having openings in opposite longitudinal ends which can be snapped in place over the pins. These window dividers are decorative and are used to create the illusion that a single window pane is divided into separate lights, with the window dividers giving the appearance ofindividual muntin bars which support separate window panes.

A need exists for a machine which can easily and reliably handle batch quantities of randomly oriented pins to properly orient the pins so that their pointed ends are all faced in the same direction. It is further necessary to align the oriented pins in a lateral array so that they are in contiguous side by side juxtaposition to each other and to apply a tape to the pins in a manner to insure that the tape is free of void sections, i.e., sections having no pins thereon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The pin orienting, aligning and taping machine of this invention has a pin orienting section comprised of an inclined orienting platform having a plurality of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending channels for receiving the pins to be aligned. A plurality of push rods are associated with each channel and each push rod has a pin engaging sectionwhich is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of its corresponding channel,

and the longitudinal axis of pins disposed in the chan spaced fingers of pin receiving plates. The pin receiving plates are mounted on a link-chain which is positively driven to feed the aligned pins to a chute having a zigzag slot therein through which the pins travel to provide a pin storage reservoirvon their way to the taping station. The aligning platform is vibrated in a horizontal plane to aid in properly aligning the pins within the channels of the pin receiving plates.

Pins exiting from the bottom of the zig-zag slot arereceived in transverse grooves formed in the periphery of a positively driven pin receiving roll and are transferred from this roll to a take-off platform. The pins are fed along the platform and under a tape applying roll by adjacent pins coming off the pin receiving roll and the tape is fed by the engagement of the pins passing thereunder.

It is an object of this invention to provide a machine which orients randomly arranged pins, aligns them in side-by-side relationship and tapes them to provide a unitary structure.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an extremely efficient and reliable combination for orienting randomly arranged pins.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a unique system for initially aligning the pins in side-byside relationship after they have been oriented properly.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a taping system which assures, by simple and reliable means, that voids will not be present in the finished tape assembly.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view of the apparatus with portions removed to show details of interior construction.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross, sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial, cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus.

FIG. 6 is apartial, enlarged veiw of the left side of the apparatus as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the particular structure of my invention selected for illustration in the drawings and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention.

The pin orienting, aligning and taping machine 10 of this invention has an inclined hopper 12, the lower portion of which constitutes a pin receiving bin 14 for receiving a batch of randomly oriented pins 16 which are to be oriented in one direction, aligned and placed on a tape 108 (FIGS. 1 and 5) in immediate side by-side juxtaposition for future use with pin positioning apparatus. The pins 16 are removed from the bin 14 and are pushed up the aligning grooves 18 which are formed in the inclined orienting platform 20 by the plurality of push rods 22 (FIGS. 1 4). The push rods 22 are mounted in parallel rows with each row being mounted on a cross head 24 which is in turn fastened to the joined links 25 of the positively driven endless link chains 26, 26 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Each push rod 22 in a parallel row is aligned with a corresponding aligning groove 18 in the inclined orienting platform 20 and has longitudinal motion with respect thereto. In the embodiment shown, there are five parallel grooves 18 formed in the platform 20 and therefore, five corresponding push rods 22 are provided in each row.

The left link chain 26 is trained about the lower and upper sprocket wheels 28, 30 which are rotatively fixed to axles 32, 34 respectively. Similarly, the right link chain 26 is trained about identical upper and lower sprocket wheels (not shown) which are fixed to the same axles 32, 34 (FIG. 2). The axle 32 is journalled to the machine construction for free rotation and axle 34 is driven by a motor 36 which drives a pulley 38 to rotate the axle 34. An endless belt 40 transmits power from the motor 36 to the pulley 38 (FIG. I) for axle rotative purposes.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the pins 16 to be oriented are illustrated having a cylindrical body 42 with a substantially planar rear surface 44 and a pointed forward section 46. The pins may be approximately onefifteenth of an inch in diameter and approximately 1/2 inch long. Each push rod 22 has a main body 48 and a forward pin engaging section 50 which is laterally offset from the axis of the main body 48. The main body 48 of each push rod is aligned with its corresponding aligning groove 18 and therefore, the pin engaging sections 50 of the push rods 22 are laterally offset from the axis of said grooves.

Referring nowto FIGS. 1 4, the pin orienting operation of machine will now be described. The link chains 26, 26' are driven through the sprockets 28, 30 to direct the push rods 22 through the batch of randomly oriented pins 16 in bin 14 whereby the pin engaging sections 50 randomly urge the pins 16 into the aligning grooves 18 of the orienting platform 20. If a pin 16 is disposed with its pointed section 46 facing up the inclined platform, the pin engaging section 50 of the push rod 22 will engage the planar rear surface 44 of the pin and continue to push it up the incline under impetus of the link chains 26, 26'. If the pin is disposed with its pointed section 46 facing down the incline, the laterally offset pin engaging section 50 will engage the conical surface 47 defining the pointed forward section 46 of the pin 16. Since the push rods are rigidly mounted upon the crossheads 24 and have no lateral movement, the pin 16 will be forced laterally out of the aligning groove, as shown by the dotted representation in FIG. 4. All pins 16 thus laterally removed from a groove 18 return to the pin receiving bin 14 by gravity inclined fall along the inclined platform 20. All pins with the pointed section 46 facing up the inclined platform are pushed completely up the platform by action of the respective pin engaging sections 50 against the planar rear surfaces 44. A declining chute 52 forms an extension of the platform 20 (FIGS. 2 and 5) and depends downwardly at an angle of approximately 90 therefrom. The grooves 18' are formed in the chute 52 and are extensions of the grooves 18. Thus, all pins 16 which are pushed up the inclined platform 20 by the push rods 22 follow the groove 18 and fall by gravity down the contiguous grooves 18'.

The pin aligning section of the machine for receiving and aligning pins from the chute 52 will now be described. An endless link chain 54 is trained about the sprocket wheels 56, 58 and 60 (FIGS. 1 and 5). The sprocket wheels 56, 58 are mounted for free rotation and the sprocket gear 60 is positively driven by a conventional motor, chain and sprocket arrangement (not shown) to postively drive the endless link chain 54 in the direction indicated by arrow 86.

A plurality of pin receiving and aligning plates 62 (FIGS. 1, 5 and 7) connect to the links of the chain 54 in side-by-side relationship to laterally transport the aligned pins across the machine 10. A platform 64 mounts to the frame 11 of the machine 10 directly below the lower run of the link chain 54 which passes between sprocket wheels 56, 60. The upper surface 66 of the platform 64 forms a support for receiving the oriented pins from the chute 52. The pins are supported upon and are transported across the platform 64 in generally U-shaped channels 67, 68 which are defined between three forwardly projecting legs 70 of the pin receiving and aligning plates 62 (FIG. 7). A guide plate 70 (FIG. 2) mounts above the platform 64 to aid in guiding the pins 16 received from the chute 52 into the U-shaped channels 67, 68 of the plates 62.

To aid in laterally aligning the pins so that they rest on top surface 66 of the platform 64, the platform is mounted to permit vibration thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, a cam follower 74 connects to the platform 64 and urges against a cam 76 carried on a drive shaft 78 of a motor 80 by the bias of the helical spring 82. The helical spring 82 biases between the cam follower 74 and an arm 84 of the motor mount 81 for the motor 80. Rotation of the drive shaft 78 and therefore the cam 76 causes the platform 64 to vibratein a horizontal plane and in a direction parallel to the lower run of the link chain 54 to aid in laterally aligning the pins 16. The pins 16 in aligned, oriented relation are thus transported across the top 66 of the vibrating platform 64 by the link chain 54. The vibratory action of the platform 64 serves to fully seat and position the pins 16 within the channels 67, 68 provided in each plate 62.

The pins 16 move transversely along the platform 64 in the U-shaped channels 67, 68 of the pin receiving and aligning plates 62 by action of the link chain 54. The link chain drives in the direction indicated by arrow 86 to feed the pins to the extreme left of the platform 64, as viewed in FIG. 5. As the pins leave the platform 64, they are received in a zig-zag slot 88 of a chute 89 (FIGS. 5 and 6) which retains the pins in their horizontal position while feeding them to the taping section of the machine. As best seen in FIG. 6, the slot 88 forms an elongated descending pin path to provide a pin reservoir 91 to hold a supply of pins to assure complete filling of all of the grooves provided about the periphery of the pin receiving and feed roll. Because of the close tolerances between the width of the zig-zag slot 88 and the lateral dimension of the pins 16, some of the pins may pass over the slot and be collected in a container 90.

Referring now to FIGS. 5, 6 and 8, the tape applying mechanism of the machine 10 will be described. The pins 16 gravity feed through the zig-zag slot 88 and exit individually from the lower end of the slot into the transversely disposed pin receiving grooves 92 which are formed in the outer periphery of a driven pin receiving and feed roll 94. The pin receiving and feed roll is driven by a conventional motor, sprocket and chain drive mechanism (not shown) in the usual manner. The

roll 94 is provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves 96 which are cut deeper into the outer periphery of the roll than the pin receiving grooves 92. The roll 94 is shown with three circumferential grooves 96 (FIG. 8) although it is understood that the number of such grooves may be varied.

A take-off platform 98 includes three endwardly extending finger members 100 which position within the circumferential grooves 96 below the pins 16 as they are carried in transverse grooves 92. As the pin receiving and feed roll 94 rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 5, the pins 16 fall by gravity to individually fall into succeeding grooves 92. Rotation of the feed roll 94 carries the pins 16 counterclockwise into contact with the take-off platform 98 where they are picked off the feed roll 94 by the finger members 100. The pins 16 are pushed down the take-off platform 98 by rearward adjacent pins 16 which continually enter the platform 98 from the feed roll 94. The platform 98 is provided with a pair of lateral spaced, overhanging, longitudinal flanges 102 which are spaced apart a distance equal to the length of the pins 16 to insure that the pins are properly aligned prior to the application of the tape thereto. The overhanging, inwardly directed flange roofs 103 serve to secure the pins within the platform construction by restraining upward movement of the pointed and blunt ends of the pins.

A tape supply roll 104 mounts for free rotation on a shaft 106 and carries a supply of tape 108 with adhesive provided on the pin contacting side 110 thereof. The tape 108 is trained about a tape applying roll 112 and connects to a take-up roll 114. The tape applying roll 112 is spring loaded toward the take-off platform 98 by a tensioned helical spring 116 whereby pins which are pushed down the inclined take off platform 98 beneath the roll 112 will adhere to the adhesive side 1-10 of the tape 108 and at the same time feed the tape in a direction toward the take-up roll 114. The take-up roll 114 is provided with a light friction clutch (not shown) which provides enough tension to take the slack out of the tape, but does not provide enough tension to positively feed the tape 108. The tape 108 is only fed by the action of the pins 16 passing under the roll 112, which insures that the-pins 16 will be disposed contiguous to each other on the tape with no voids.

I claim:

l. A pin orienting assembly adapted for use in a pin orienting and aligning apparatus wherein all of said pins are substantially identical and each pin has opposite longitudinal ends of a different configuration, the combination of A. an orienting platform having a longitudinally extending channel for receiving said pins,

1. said channel having a longitudinal axis,

2. said platform having an upstream end and a downstream end,

3. said platform being inclined inwardly from the upstream end to the downstream end;

B. storage means adjacent the upstream end of the orienting platform to hold a plurality of randomly oriented pins to be aligned; and

C. push rod means to push the pins into aligned orientation,

1. said push rod means moving through the storage means to contact the pins,

2. said push rod means traveling upwardly in registry over the channel,

3. said push rod means terminating endwardly in a pin engaging section,

4. a portion of said pin engaging section moving within the channel,

5. said portion being laterally offset from the longitudinal axis.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of said push rod means includes a longitudinally extending main body section extending upwardly from said pin engaging section, said main body section having a longitudinal axis in substantially vertical alignment with the longitudinal axis of its corresponding channel.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a substantially flat, horizontally disposed aligning platform disposed at the downstream end of said orienting platform, said pin receiving plates having channels therein for receiving the oriented pins in lateral alignment with each other and disposed upon the said aligning platform, said pin receiving plates having channels therein for receiving the oriented pins in lateral alignment with each other and disposed upon the said aligning platform.

4. The assembly according to claim 3 further including means for vibrating said aligning platform in a horizontal plane to aid in properly aligning the pins received within the channels of the pin receiving plates.

5. An assembly for aligning and transporting pins comprising a substantially flat platform, a plurality of pin receiving plates movable over said platform and closely adjacent thereto, said pin receiving plates having channels therein for receiving pins to be aligned, said pins being received within said channels and resting on said platform and means for vibrating said platform whereby pins which are misaligned or overlap in said pin receiving plates will be properly aligned. 

1. A pin orienting assembly adapted for use in a pin orienting and aligning apparatus wherein all of said pins are substantially identical and each pin has opposite longitudinal ends of a different configuration, the combination of A. an orienting platform having a longitudinally extending channel for receiving said pins,
 1. said channel having a longitudinal axis,
 2. said platform having an upstream end and a downstream end,
 3. said platform being inclined inwardly from the upstream end to the downstream end; B. storage means adjacent the upstream end of the orienting platform to hold a plurality of randomly oriented pins to be aligned; and C. push rod means to push the pins into aligned orientation,
 1. said push rod means moving through the storage means to contact the pins,
 2. said push rod means traveling upwardly in registry over the channel,
 3. said push rod means terminating endwardly in a pin engaging section,
 4. a portion of said pin engaging section moving within the channel,
 5. said portion being laterally offset from the longitudinal axis.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of said push rod means includes a longitudinally extending main body section extending upwardly from said pin engaging section, said main body section having a longitudinal axis in substantially vertical alignment with the longitudinal axis of its corresponding channel.
 2. said platform having an upstream end and a downstream end,
 2. said push rod means traveling upwardly in registry over the channel,
 3. said push rod means terminating endwardly in a pin engaging section,
 3. The assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a substantially flat, horizontally disposed aligning platform disposed at the downstream end of said orienting platform, said pin receiving plates having channels therein for receiving the oriented pins in lateral alignment with each other and disposed upon the said aligning platform, said pin receiving plates having channels therein for receiving the oriented pins in lateral alignment with each other and disposed upon the said aligning platform.
 3. said platform being inclined inwardly from the upstream end to the downstream end; B. storage means adjacent the upstream end of the orienting platform to hold a plurality of randomly oriented pins to be aligned; and C. push rod means to push the pins into aligned orientation,
 4. a portion of said pin engaging section moving within the channel,
 4. The assembly according to claim 3 further including means for vibrating said aligning platform in a horizontal plane to aid in properly aligning the pins received within the channels of the pin receiving plates.
 5. An assembly for aligning and transporting pins comprising a substantially flat platform, a plurality of pin receiving plates movable over said platform and closely adjacent thereto, said pin receiving plates having channels therein for receiving pins to be aligned, said pins being received within said channels and resting on said platform and means for vibrating said platform whereby pins which are misaligned or overlap in said pin receiving plates will be properly aligned.
 5. said portion being laterally offset from the longitudinal axis. 